Title: Process Writing with Powerpoint -- Author(s): Jane Aronowsky, ELA and Kate Fisher, Instructional Technology -- Grade Level: 8th and 12th -- Subject Matter: English Language Arts -- Synopsis: English students combine a process essay and speech with a Powerpoint presentation.

This learning experience combines a process essay and speech with a Powerpoint presentation. The focus of the experience is to provide senior English students with the knowledge and skills to write clear directional process essays. Through the technology component, students learn how to develop a Powerpoint presentation to relay information; using writing and appropriate graphics to illustrate a process.

English Language Arts: Standard 1 - Language for Information and Understanding

Students will listen, speak, read and write for information and understanding. As listeners and readers, students will collect data, facts and ideas; discover relationships, concepts, and generalizations; and use knowledge generated from oral, written and electronically produced texts. As speakers and writers, they will use oral and written language that follows the accepted conventions of the English language to acquire, interpret, apply and transmit information.

Benchmark 2. Speaking and writing to acquire and transmit information requires asking probing and clarifying questions, interpreting information in one's own words, applying information from one context to another, and presenting information and interpretation clearly, concisely and comprehensibly.

Students will access, generate, process and transfer information using appropriate technologies.

Benchmark 1. Information technology is used to retrieve, process and communicate information and as a tool to enhance learning.

1. There are two types of process writing: Informational Process Writing, telling how something works or happens, and Directional Process Writing, giving step-by-step directions on how to do something.

2. Good process writing includes descriptive details and/or steps, materials needed, reasons for actions and conditions. Conditions include requirements and alternatives.

3. Transitions are used to relate steps in a clear and orderly fashion. Transitions help organize and link the steps of a process in terms of chronological time.

1. Write a process essay on an everyday process familiar to them.

2. Identify steps that can be shown with photography and collaborate with a partner to obtain photos of the steps of a directional process.

3. Use Powerpoint to develop a presentation that demonstrates a process to an audience of their peers.

1) Learn the vocabulary of giving directions. Students use textbook reading and activities to learn the vocabulary and fundamentals of process writing. Texts used were Writing for Success, Chapter 11 and Strategies for Successful Writing, Chapter 6. The ELA teacher selected a variety of short answer and analytical assignments to identify student strengths and weaknesses in understanding process writing.

2) Pick a topic to demonstrate. Students choose topics based upon something they can do well and something that lends itself to a Powerpoint demonstration. Topic choices are approved by the ELA teacher.

3) Write a directional process essay. Students use clear, concise, standard written English to write directions for their process. Essays are written, printed, and revised using word processing software. Essays are evaluated and approved by the ELA teacher.

4) Identify steps for photographic essay. Students collaborate with a partner to identify those steps that will be photographed for the presentation graphics. Students must agree on the focus of the photograph for each illustrated step. The instructional technology coordinator provides guidance to students on setting up shots for clear portrayal of the subject.

5) Demonstrate the process and acquire digital photography. Students bring materials to school and present their demonstration. The partner takes the required photographs using a digital camera. Alternatively, students can perform demonstrations and acquire photography at home or in a suitable setting.

6) Use Powerpoint to illustrate the process in a presentation format. The instructional technology coordinator demonstrates creating a process presentation using Powerpoint. Students follow steps with the instructor to create the first few slides, adapting the writing of the process essay to a style suitable for presentation. They then have two full class periods to complete their Powerpoint presentations and practice transitions at the computer. Both the ELA teacher and instructional technology coordinator provide support during this phase. Students have an opportunity to practice the presentation using the LCD projector on the day before formal evaluation. The ELA teacher is the primary evaluator. Both the ELA teacher and the instructional technology coordinator comment on the student work.

Resource students worked on writing the process essay with the support of the resource center. The technology coordinator was available for extra technology support during study blocks and after school. Individual attention was given to all students in the Powerpoint development process. Resource students were allowed extra time to complete assignments as needed.

This project was conducted over a two week time period of a semester long course. Class periods were eighty minutes in length. Each day had an expressed directive or goal for students to accomplish relative to this learning experience. Once that goal had been met, students worked on alternative assignments and class activities under the direction of the ELA teacher.

Textbooks - The following, or any textbook that presents information on developing and practice in analyzing process writing.

Brown, Mary T. and Hillenbrand, Fredrick L. Ph.D. Writing For Success, Clearwater, Fla.: H&H Publishing Company: 1996.

Reinking, James A., Andrew W. Hart and Robert Von Der Osten. Strategies for Successful Writing. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall, Inc: 1999.

Technology - Microsoft Works was used for word processing the process essay. Students used Microsoft Powerpoint to develop the presentations. Other word processing and presentation software could be used equally effectively. As an alternative to using a digital camera to acquire illustrative photography, a regular camera, film and scanner could be used, or students could have photographs developed to disk by a photo processor. Extra time would need to be allowed for film development. An LCD projector was used to project slides in a large screen format for the oral presentation. Presentations could also be done using a scan converter and television, or in small clusters around the computer monitor.

Supplies and Equipment - Students provided the necessary supplies and equipment to perform their demonstration.

Facilities - Students used the Home and Careers classroom and the Agriculture classroom to do the in-school demonstrations where the photography was acquired. The computer lab was used for two and a half class periods to give students sufficient access to Powerpoint technology. Collaboration between members of the staff in support of this project was critical.

4 Presentation. Student presents information on how to do an everyday process clearly, concisely and comprehensively. Materials are listed, steps clearly explained and appropriate visuals are used. Reasons, conditions, requirements and alternatives are given as needed. Transitions and commands are used. Warnings are listed. Presentation uses standard English, and includes a summary, and credits. Presentation shows evidence of being practiced. Student is able to field questions during question and answer period. Technology enhances the process being explained. Presentation shows evidence of pre-writing, drafting, revising and proofreading (the writing process). Student has mastered the PPT presentation and given a presentation that is on the very highest level.

3 Presentation. Student presents information on how to do an everyday process clearly and concisely. Materials are listed, steps clearly explained and appropriate visuals are used. Reasons, conditions and requirements are given occasionally. Transitions and commands are used. Warnings are listed. Presentation uses mostly standard English and includes a summary or credits. Presentation shows evidence of being practiced. Student is able to field most of the questions during the question and answer period. Technology complements the process being explained. Presentation shows evidence of using the writing process. Student has given a PPT presentation that is on a very high level.

2 Presentation. Student presents information on how to do an everyday process that is clear. Materials are listed, steps explained, and appropriate visuals are used. Reasons, conditions and requirements are given occasionally. Transitions, commands and warnings may be included. Presentation uses standard English, but there lapses in the spelling or grammar. Presentation does not show evidence of being practiced. Student includes one of the following: summary, credits, questions. Technology adequately describes the process being explained. Presentation show evidence of using some steps of the writing process. Student has given a PPT presentation that is on an adequate level.

1 Presentation. Student's project is well chosen and well intentioned, but only partially finished. Student completes a portion of the assignment and includes a portion of the project requirements.

Examples of student work were included in Appendix A to the Peer Review submission and are available upon request.

We believe this experience worked well because students had a clear idea of the desired outcome and steps were laid out for them sequentially, with significant support along the way. The experience itself was an example of a directional process. None of the students, nor the ELA teacher, had any prior experience with Powerpoint. Student preparation for, and focus during, the Powerpoint development process was so conscientious that this part of the lesson was accomplished in about 1/2 the time anticipated. Students familiar with Powerpoint may need even less guidance in developing the presentation. Students enjoyed the variety of lesson formats and multiple classroom settings associated with this learning experience, which worked well with a small class of 10 -12 students. The experience may have to be modified for larger class sizes or for classes where the availability of facilities precludes in-school demonstrations. The collaborative experience was extremely rewarding for the ELA and Instructional Technology staff members. In the future, student self evaluation and peer evaluation will be included in the assessment.

LE Title: Process Writing with Powerpoint	Author(s): Jane Aronowsky, ELA and Kate Fisher, Instr. Technology
Grade Level: 8^th - 12^th Grade	School : Stockbridge Valley Central
Topic/Subject Area: English Language Arts	School Address: 6011 Williams Road, Munnsville, NY 13409
Email: jaronowsky@stockbridge-csd.moric.org kfisher@stockbridge-csd.moric.org	School Phone: (315) 495-4400 School Fax: (315) 495-4492